Quinn Denker hits 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Idaho over Sacramento State 61-58 in Big Sky opener

MOSCOW, Idaho – It was hard work but entertaining – right to a fraction of the final second.

Idaho clung to a meager lead that varied between a point and six for much of the second half Thursday. The Vandals’ advantage finally evaporated when Sacramento State’s Emil Skytta dribbled into the lane, dribbled back out and fed Akol Mawein, who knocked down a 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining to tie the score at 58.

But after a timeout, Idaho’s Tyler Linhardt arrowed a high pass to Julius Mims, who high-pointed the ball and directed it to Quinn Denker, standing beyond the arc on the right side.

Denker shot just ahead of the final buzzer, and with the backboard outlined in the red light signaling the end of the game, the ball caromed off the backboard and through the hoop to give the Vandals a 61-58 buzzer-beating win in their first Big Sky Conference game of the season.

Denker, Idaho’s leading scorer with 21 points, said Linhardt and Mims were the keys to the successful play.

“All I did was get off a shot,” said Denker, pointing out he wasn’t aiming at the glass. “I just shot it and held my follow through.

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Idaho coach Alex Pribble said he thought the shot was off.

“From my angle, the ball was going pretty far right,” Pribble said. “I was expecting overtime.”

Pribble and Mims pointed out Idaho had worked on just such a game-ending scenario this week.

“We worked on it in practice. The rest is history,” Mims said.

“We worked on that earlier this week multiple times,” Pribble agreed.

The fact the game came down to what they practiced is an opportunity for Idaho’s players to get “further buy-in” to what Vandals coaches are telling them, Pribble said.

The victory improves Idaho to 7-6 overall heading into Saturday’s home game against Portland State.

The hardluck Hornets fell to 3-9.

“Their record does not show how good they are,” Denker said of the Hornets. “They are better than a lot of teams we played.”

Idaho’s Mims and Sacramento State’s Duncan Powell led their respective teams in a first half in which the Vandals made a pair of bids to take over the game.

Mims and Powell each scored 13. Mims’ line included three 3-pointers, and he helped the Vandals make an early statement with a forceful dunk off a Denker lob. It gave the Vandals a 5-3 lead.

Powell was slow to get started and missed several shots early. When Idaho built a 22-10 advantage, however, Powell kept the Hornets in contact with a basket off a drive, another after spinning away from a baseline defender and finally with a fall-away jumper against Mims as Sacramento State reduced its deficit to 22-17. The Vandals, though, rebuilt their lead to 33-22 by halftime.

The Hornets’ interior defense made it difficult for Idaho, harassing Idaho into 13 turnovers. The Vandals managed to convert 21 of 52 shots (40.4%) including 7 of 21 3-pointers.

Overall, the Vandals had the best of the defensive battle, holding the Hornets to 18-of-44 shooting from the field, including 9 of 15 on 3-pointers. Idaho limited Sacramento State to nine assists and forced 16 turnovers, including one on a corner trap that Pribble celebrated with a fist pump.

The Vandals benefited from solid free-throw shooting, hitting 12 of 15 at the line. The Hornets had 20 attempts but made only 13.

Sacramento State made a 10-6 run against Idaho in the opening 5 minutes of the second half to close within 39-34, as Mims picked up his third foul against the Hornets’ Austin Patterson.

The Hornets got as close as 46-45 as Powell buried a 3-pointer with 10:20 to play. Idaho briefly ran its lead to six points again, but for most of the remainder of the second half the Hornets stalked the Vandals until Mawein knotted the score in the final 3 seconds.

“Welcome to the Big Sky,” Pribble said.

Mims backed Denker with 18 points and Linhardt added nine.

Powell led Sacramento State with 20. Mawein followed with 13 and Zee Hamoda 12.

Idaho played without one of its starting guards, D’Angelo Minnis, who was ill, according to Pribble.

Pribble said he was unsure if Minnis would return Saturday.